Rajasthan picks Bhajanlal Sharma as new Chief Minister
Rajasthan CM announcement: On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officially declared Bhajanlal Sharma as the incoming Chief Minister of Rajasthan. His victory in the recent elections from the Sanganer assembly seat showcased a resounding win, triumphing over Congress's Pushpendra Bhardwaj by a substantial margin of 48,081 votes.
Vasundhara Raje, a prominent figure within the BJP and herself a contender for the esteemed position, announced Bhajanlal Sharma's name as the chosen Chief Minister for Rajasthan. Amidst the deliberations and considerations for the top role, several other notable figures were in contention, including Gajendra Shekhawat, Mahant Balaknath, Diya Kumari, Anita Bhadel, Manju Baghmar, and Arjun Ram Meghwal. Their names circulated as potential contenders for the prestigious position in Rajasthan's leadership.
Bhajanlal Sharma has assets worth Rs 1.40 crore and liabilities of Rs 35 lakh. According to the affidavit related to the details of assets given in the assembly elections, the net worth of the new Rajasthan Chief Minister Sharma is Rs 1,15,000 in cash and Rs 11 lakh is deposited in bank accounts.
CM Bhajanlal holds two insurance policies of LIC and HDFC. Apart from this, Sharma has a Tata Safari and TVS Victor bike.
Click here to read Bhajanlal Sharma Affidavit
The unexpected selection was revealed during a party legislators' meeting in Jaipur, where the proposal for the leader of the legislative party was made by two-time Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The Sanganer legislator secured unanimous approval.
The 56-year-old appointee will be joined by two deputies, Diya Kumari from Vidyadhar Nagar, and Premchand Bairwa from Dudu. The upcoming assembly speaker will be former education minister Vasudev Devnani, as announced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Hailing from Bharatpur district, Sharma expressed that the new BJP team is committed to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. He stated, "All our MLAs will operate under Modi ji's leadership to fulfill the people's expectations from the BJP and propel Rajasthan towards development," during discussions with reporters.
The BJP seemed to strategically maintain a delicate caste equilibrium in appointing deputy CMs, designating Sharma, a Brahmin, for the position. Diya Kumari, a former parliamentarian and victorious assembly poll candidate, belongs to the royal family of Jaipur and is a Rajput, while Bairwa represents the Dalit community.
After a span of 33 years, Rajasthan will witness a Brahmin chief minister, marking Sharma as the first non-Rajput BJP CM in the state. Expressing gratitude to party workers, Sharma acknowledged, "My heartfelt thanks to all the BJP workers who tirelessly contributed to securing a resounding victory for the party in the elections."
Sharma, who entered electoral politics in 2003 from the Nadbai constituency, clinched victory from Sanganer, a suburb of Jaipur, with a substantial margin of approximately 40,000 votes. Rooted in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he embodies a strong connection to his political journey.
- With inputs from agencies
